"Raw" is (in bidding) war

Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation informed its investors Wednesday that it is cancelling its four hours of weekly programming on the top-rated USA cable channel. Do you smell what the Prez is cooking?

The abrupt announcement comes as CBS/Viacom prepares to step up its bid to acquire rights to one of television's biggest franchises among 12-to-34-year-old males: "Raw is War," the WWF's mega-huge Monday night show. Variety reports that the most likely scenario involves "Raw" going to The Nashville Network (owned by CBS Cable), with "Smackdown" staying on UPN (of which Viacom is half-owner) and Viacom finding a home for McMahon's latest creation, the XFL football league.

Ironically, it was the XFL that has proved a sticking point both in negotiations with Fox — another WWF suitor — and USA. Ironic, because as cable buffs know, the USA Network started out as the heavily sportsified MSG Network before Kay Koplovitz made it a general entertainment channel.

More coverage on what could be the cable story of the year:

"Camp" classic

By Andy Ihnatko

SpaceCamp (1986) [Three Stars]
Sci-Fi Channel, 7 p.m. Saturday
(repeats 5 p.m. Sunday)
Full IMDb listing

I love this movie. And there's no irony whatsoever in that statement. I saw "SpaceCamp" for the first time a couple of years after its initial release, and that still counts as one of the very best times I've had in a theater. It's not up there with the first time I saw "Star Wars" but it's definitely in the same league as the Saturday afternoon when my then-sweetie and I were in Harvard Square and, desperate for someplace dark to make out immediately, dashed to the Loews eight-plex and unwittingly bought tickets to a gay sex comedy.

(continued)

Picks to click ... for the week of March 6 are here.

The daily digest ... for March 10, 2000: No surprise here, but say goodbye to "The Martin Short Show." The low-rated talker will be out of production within a month, an industry source familiar with the show told TV Barn ... Here are ratings highlights from February for Kansas City's TV stations ... I was intrigued to read that Don Ohlmeyer, departed about a year from NBC, is returning to his old stomping ground at ABC. He's going to produce "Monday Night Football" (begin speaking in Howard Cosell voice), a program with which he was associated for the better part of five years in his capacity with ABC Sports. He won five Emmys with the network, including his production of the Olympic Games in 1972 and 1976. And let the record show that he — and not this announcer — was chiefly responsible for the selection of "Halftime Highlights" ... I guess that with former entertainment executive Jamie Tarses gone from ABC, it was safe for old Don to grace its halls again ...

Speaking of old stomping grounds, the alt.fan.letterman Usenet group spearheaded a campaign to raise money for heart research. They came up with $2,384.40 and CBS matched that with 5,000 clams of its own for the American Heart Association ... If you've been wondering if that www.whoaooonellie.com site mentioned in the mock "Late Show" ads for heart bypass surgery really exists, take a look for yourself ...

"Late Show" ratings leaped 30 percent in February and reversed a four-year slide in season-to-date ratings. Quoting the CBS publicity verbatim: In the February 2000 survey, LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN was up +28% in households (3.7/11 vs. 2.9/9), +34% in viewers (4.75m vs. 3.53m), +27% in adults 18-49 (1.9/9 vs. 1.5/8) and +31% in adults 25-54 (2.1/10 vs. 1.6/8) compared to last February. Compared to last year, "The Tonight Show" was up +2% in viewers (6.11m vs. 6.02m), flat in both households (4.7/14) and adults 25-54 (2.8/13) and down -7% in adults 18-49 (2.5/12 vs. 2.7/13). Season-to-date, LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is up +10% in households (3.2/9 vs. 2.9/9), +16% in viewers (4.11m vs. 3.55m) and +6% in both adults 18-49 (1.7/8 vs. 1.6/8) and adults 25-54 (1.8/8 vs. 1.7/8) compared to last season. "The Tonight Show" season-to-date is down -2% in households (4.5/13 vs. 4.6/14), -4% in both adults 18-49 (2.5/12 vs. 2.6/12) and adults 25-54 (2.7/12 vs. 2.8/13) and even in viewers (5.96m) from last season. Got all that? ... By the way, Craig Kilborn is up significantly, too, while Conan is down.

Coming up next:
Monday: Reader mail
Tuesday: Zippy's Sci-Fi Loft returns!

Previously on TV Barn:
9 March: He felt the need for "Greed"
8 March: The candidates and late-night
7 March: The $218,000 answer
3 March: "Contact"
2 March: Bush whacked
1 March: Reader mail
29 Feb: Kathie Lee quits

On this date... in 1980, there'll be hell toupee as NBC's "Today Show" welcomes new wacky weather watcher (and former Ronald McDonald) Willard Scott, whose arrival finally gives 99-year-old-women something to live for.

March 11: in 1998, "Ellen's" coming out of her timeslot as ABC decides to try out a new show about "An Architect And A Med Student Trying to Pay For Grad School By Working At Beacon Street Pizza, And The Spokeswoman For A Chemical Company Who Hangs Out With Them Even Though They're Not Too Bright." Fortunately, the network shortens the title to "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place."

March 12: in 1987, the normally self-assured Alex P. Keaton questions his own existence in "'A' My Name Is Alex," a truly Very Special Episode of "Family Ties." Having passed on a joy ride with friends "because it wasn't convenient," Alex is now guilt-ridden when the trip results in a fatal car crash for his childhood pal Greg. After being confronted by his friend's ghost, he finally seeks help from an unseen therapist and comes to terms with "his selfishness." The performance will help earn Michael J. Fox his third consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and the episode also wins Gary Unger and series creator Gary David Goldberg a pair of Emmys for Outstanding Writing. -- Tom Heald

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